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JT looked no less displeased. “My father has done several favors for Casey. He has no interest in selling his stock to me, nor would he throw his votes in my direction.”
Violet opened her mouth to argue, but decided from JT’s set expression that she’d be wasting her breath. Instead, she set Casey’s folder aside and opened the next one. She sifted through several documents before arriving at the one she wanted. “Your great aunt Harriet has recently come under the influence of a rather clever con man who has convinced her to fund his charity in New Orleans.” Seeing the flicker of interest in JT’s gaze, she sidled closer. “I can be a big help. No one knew the way Tiberius’s mind worked better than me. Did you know that over the past thirty years Tiberius had collected a storage unit full of Las Vegas history? Some of it was significant. Most of it was trivial nonsense. He left the entire collection to Scarlett for her Mob Experience exhibit.”
“I’m sure that’s fascinating, but you’ve done enough.” He pushed away from the pool table and nodded toward the open door. “Have Pauline fix you some breakfast. I’ll take you back to Fontaine Chic when you’re finished.”
She repressed a protest. Assuming he’d accept her as his business partner just because she’d come up with the idea of getting married was shortsighted. A man as closed off as JT wasn’t going to jump at the chance to work with her. If she didn’t accept that, frustration was going to make her crazy.
“Before we head back to town, there are a few things we should talk about.”
“Such as?” He crossed his arms over his chest.
“How would you like me to explain this?” She held up her left hand and indicated the ring with her right pointer finger.
For a moment he didn’t speak, just stared at the ring. “However you’d like.”
Violet gnashed her teeth and tried a different approach. “What are you planning to say about our impulsive wedding last night?”
“If it comes up, I will say we’ve been involved for almost a year, but we’ve been keeping it quiet.”
“And that’s it?”
“I do not expect anyone will press me for details.”
“Truly?” How could he not comprehend people’s curiosity? “You don’t think someone will ask where we met? How long we’ve been seeing each other?”
“They won’t.”
“Isn’t there anyone in your life you share things with?”
His isolation continued to baffle her. Did he choose to keep everyone out of his life or was he such a pain in the ass that no one was interested?
“My staff knows better than to show an interest in my personal life and those I see socially aren’t interested in my business dealings. Since our arrangement falls in neither of those categories, I won’t have to explain our marriage to anyone.”
“That’s great for you,” she retorted sarcastically. “But I have two sisters and a mother, who when they hear I got married, are going to expect me to share every juicy detail of what we’re doing and why.”
At last he gave her his full attention. “There are no juicy details.”
She shoved her hands into the back pocket of her jeans to keep from acting on the desire to jolt him out of his stoic calm. “Can I tell them what we’re really doing?”
“Do you trust them to keep the truth to themselves?”
Given his tendency to play his cards close to the vest, the question shouldn’t have shocked her as much as it did. “I trust them completely.”
She bared her teeth in a spiteful grin. “But if you don’t think I should, I could tell them that you’ve pined over me for years, but were too afraid that Tiberius would ruin you if you made your feelings known.”
Irritation tightened his mouth into a thin line. “They won’t believe something so ridiculous.”
“Scarlett will.” Violet gave free rein to the demon riding her shoulder. Being reasonable hadn’t worked, and she badly wanted a peek at the hand he held. Time to play dirty. Maybe if she antagonized him, he’d let something slip. “She already has it in her head that you show up in Baccarat every night because you want me.”
If he denied it, she wouldn’t be surprised.
“And she bases that on what exactly?” His even tone gave nothing away.
Violet found herself in deeper water than she expected. Nothing for her to do but swim hard for shore and hope she wasn’t eaten by sharks. “The way you look at me.”
“And how exactly do I look at you?”
Violet frowned, trying to remember exactly how her sister had phrased it. “She said you look hungry.”
